A reward of £3,000 is being offered for information that could lead to an arrest after a monkey was abandoned inside a laundry bag on a London bus. The common marmoset, named Oyster, was discovered last Friday at 11:43 a.m. on board a 302 bus traveling from Mill Hill Broadway Station to Kensal Rise.
The driver found the bag after moving it to make way for a mother with a pram, only to hear it chirping and moving. Inside, the monkey was found concealed within a bird cage, which was then wrapped in a plastic laundry bag. Oyster had been left with some apple but was described as stressed and dehydrated.
The animal charity Peta has offered the reward, urging anyone with information to come forward. "Abandoning an animal is an extraordinary betrayal," said Peta vice-president Elisa Allen. "This monkey deserved care and protection, not to be discarded like rubbish."
The monkey was taken to the Metroline Bus Depot, where she was examined by a veterinarian before being rehomed at a sanctuary. The bus driver and Metroline staff were commended for their calm response and assistance in contacting authorities.
Authorities believe this incident may be linked to a new law introduced in April that requires all primates kept in England to be licensed. Charities like the RSPCA fear that owners unable to meet the licensing requirements may be abandoning their pets.
Evie Button, RSPCA Exotic Animals Expert, stated, "Primates are highly intelligent and social wild animals who need a lot of space, mental stimulation and appropriate companions." She added that while the licensing is a step forward for animal welfare, "there is a real concern that keepers who cannot or do not want to license their pet may now instead abandon them."
The UK Government estimates that 5,000 primates are kept as pets in England, with reports of low uptake of the new licensing system. The RSPCA recorded 238 reports of primate neglect and cruelty between 2021 and 2025.
Chief Inspector Dew indicated that investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and bus entry logs to identify the person responsible. "This is clearly a direct result of the new legislation and is something we feared would happen," she said, adding that she would be surprised if this is the last primate to be dumped. She advised anyone struggling with pet care or licensing to seek help from specialists, vets, or charities instead of abandoning the animals.
Oyster has reportedly settled well into her new sanctuary environment and will soon be introduced to a male companion. A sanctuary had coincidentally been seeking a female marmoset for a lone male in their care, a need that Oyster's rescue coincidentally met.